This invention relates to modular furniture of the type used for temporary exhibition or display purposes and, in particular, to a novel base or cabinet formed of four (identical) panels interengaged by the use of lap joints which facilitates rapid assembly.
The use of non-permanent structural assemblies and display furnishings in exhibition spaces is ever increasing due in part to the large number of trade shows and conventions being held each year to stimulate interest in the products and services of exhibitors. To attract trade show and convention business to cities, the cities must not only have suitable lodging facilities and amenities, but also a large area exhibition hall or convention center. The large area is typically leased in small parcels to users who define and create a workplace according to their own requirements. Whether the exhibitors or the staff of the facility deploy the spaced dividers and the furnishings, the objective is to provide an attractive and functional place in which to conduct business at a minimum cost for a short period of time. The costs associated with the use of the leased facilities require that assembly and disassembly of the furnishings be accomplished in a short period of time, normally with unskilled labor. Additionally, the costs associated with shipping fully assembled empty cabinets have created the need for knock-down cabinetry to more fully utilize the carrying capacity of shipping containers.
In practice, modular furniture used in exhibitions and trade shows utilizes a multiplicity of different-sized panels and fixtures which employ a variety of locking devices. The locking devices range from the simple pin and receiving hole to mechanical interlocks wherein two identical fasteners are affixed to adjacent pieces and become interengaged by insertion one to the other followed by lateral movement. In some cases, the panels used to form the furniture contain slots or notches to receive fastening devices while in other applications the panels have the fastening devices affixed thereto. The major portion of the time involved in assembling the modular furnishings is used to segregate, identify and orient the individual parts prior to initiating assembly. The more unique are the parts involved in the article of furniture, the longer it takes to assemble it using unskilled labor. Furthermore, with a variety of different-sized parts using interchangeable fastening devices, the problem of misassembly arises. It is not uncommon for the workers to have partially assembled an article of furniture only to find that an incorrect part has been affixed to the partial assembly. This situation also increases the time involved and the ultimate cost of set-up of the furnishings. In addition, the use of different size parts in display furnishings requires that a number of spare parts be kept in inventory in case of damage. These parts have to be on hand at the time of assembly and either stored or removed from the site following assembly.
Typically, ready to assemble display furnishings utilize a multiplicity of modular panels joined together through the use of a variety of locking devices. The furnishings include a number of different sized panels and separate brackets or hinges to affix panels one to another. The presently known arrangements suffer from a variety of deficiencies which limit the usefulness of such arrangements. One problem results from the fact that when panels of different sizes are used to create the most elemental of furnishings, the cabinet base receives a larger area horizontal workplace or display surface which has to be oriented to the particular cabinet base. The need for initially classifying the different sized panels used in the assembly of the base adds time to the assembly task. Another disadvantage is the requirement that many systems have a need for end posts or elaborate columns which add an additional step to assembly. Also, the connecting hardware in many of these furnishings is not affixed to the panels, but requires separate installation while coping with the need to properly orient adjacent panels. This problem is most acute during the initial assembly step when panels are not interconnected and are not free standing. In the event that assembly is begun without properly recognizing the sequence of assembly or the different-sized panels have been improperly classified, the need to disassemble the panels and restart the process adds considerably to the time required to complete assembly. All of these factors are exacerbated by the fact that unskilled workers are frequently employed to complete these tasks. As a result, the costs of set-up and take-down are increased.
Several different types of ready-to-assembly or knock-down furniture have been described in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,794 describes the use of mortise and tenon interconnections to form a box-like structure for use as a base cabinet. The cabinet in its most elemental form requires the use of three different sized panels in assembling the structure. Assembly is effected by sliding the parts into position utilizing the mortise grooves as guides. This structure has the advantage of not requiring additional fasteners. Other approaches such as that shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,154,492, 4,886,326, and 4,869,564 all describe interlock systems for ready-to-assemble furniture utilizing a variety of independent and distinct fastening devices. Another approach to providing easily erected modular furniture is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,331 wherein aligning means such as a pin and socket are combined with hook and loop coupling material to removably secure the panels used in creating modular furnishings. The foregoing references utilize a number of different sized pieces in forming the subject article utilizing the traditional butt joint at both ends of the smaller panel. As a result, the installer must classify fronts and backs and segregate those from the side panels. If the fastening means are separate, the installer must prop two panels while he affixes one to the other which can be awkward in the case of larger displays wherein the panels are formed of wood and can be relatively heavy. While two men can be used to initiate the assembly process, this greatly adds to the labor component and unduly increases the cost of both set-up and take-down.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a modular base or cabinet for use in connection with portable displays and exhibitions and for supporting semi-permanent work surfaces wherein the individual panels of the cabinet structure can be rapidly and easily interchanged to facilitate assembly. The versatility of the modular cabinet of the present invention is due primarily to the use of overlapping or lap joints for each panel which enables the side, back and front panels to have the same width dimension. The fasteners are attached to the panels so that the installer need not cope with locating the appropriate fastener and affixing it to two adjacent panels. As a result, the modular cabinets can be quickly erected to form the support units for work surfaces and the work surfaces themselves can be installed without regard to orientation. The resultant base or cabinet structure is preferably square in cross section with four identical panels so that the overlying work surface, also formed as a square with guides on its lower surface, is received in the structure without having to first locate a front or back edge.
Since a primary object of the present invention is to provide a light weight base or cabinet structure that can be rapidly assembled, the present invention utilizes panels made of a laminate structure containing an expanded plastic or foam core within a frame. The outer surfaces of the core are formed of rigid plastic sheet material which can accommodate an overlying decorative layer if desired. The fastening or engaging means for adjacent panels is installed during manufacture so that only two hands are required to interengage the first two panels and all subsequent panels of the assembly. The elimination of separate structural fasteners such as end posts permits a series of modular base units or cabinets to be adjacently disposed and provide a continuous surface unbroken by sections of different materials.